[RTTY] RM-11708

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

 > The comment period never closed, did it?

The comment period is officially closed.  However, the Commission tends
to "slow walk" amateur matters and generally consider all comments they
receive prior to the time that staff prepares a recommendation.

Since the Commission has several high priority matters from broadcast
television ownership limits and limits on joint sales agreements (JSA),
joint operating agreements (JOA), and multiple station ownership in
a market, to consolidation in video (Time Warner/Comcast and DirecTV-
AT&T mergers), to potential consolidation in wireless (rumored Sprint-
T-Mobile merger), to issues concerning "net neutrality", etc. I doubt
that RM-11708 is going to get fast track action.  Remember ARRL's
regulation by bandwidth petition languished for a couple years before
they gave up and withdrew it.  The Commission never did act on it.

OF course, in withdrawing the flawed regulation by bandwidth proposal
ARRL sowed the seeds for an even more significantly flawed RM-11708
that puts SSB bandwidth data signals indistinguishable from digital
phone and digital SSTV in the "CW bands".  The same Directors who
pushed Regulation by Bandwidth in its flawed form proposed and pushed
for RM-11708.  Does anyone see a pattern here?

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 2014-06-10 1:05 PM, Peter Laws wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 11:00 AM, Tom Magarelli <wa2pni at verizon.net> wrote:
>>                  Maybe it was noted before.
>>                   But is there a time frame when RM-11708 will be reviewed
>> and or
>>                  voted on by The FCC. Basically when will we know the outcome
>> of it ?
>>                  Rejected or accepted ?
>
> The comment period never closed, did it?   Usually those are only open
> for a fixed period, but I think we're nearly 6 months in at this
> point.  If I'm correct then the answer is probably "not any time
> soon".
>
> I don't know what happens after an NPRM comment (and reply comment)
> period ends.  Does FCC staff (the ones with the brains) review it and
> make a recommendation to the commissioners (the ones that take the
> money)?  Or do the commissioners scroll through the comments then
> vote?  I have no idea (clearly).
>
> I think the commissioners are a little backed up with the growing
> protest over Net Neutrality.  Always remember, Tom Wheeler, current
> chair of the commission spent decades as head lobbyist for the
> cellular and cable industries.  I'm thinking bandwidth of certain
> amateur service modes is way down on his list.  Now, if we could
> ensure him a job after his term is up ...
>